Year after being shot, DeKalb K-9 finds fatal hit-and-run suspect hiding in drainpipe
A suspect in a fatal hit-and-run was taken into custody after a famous police dog found him hiding in a drainpipe, DeKalb County police said.
Kenzie Flagg, 34, was charged with vehicular homicide after DeKalb canine Officer Indi tracked him to his hiding spot, according to DeKalb police spokeswoman Michaela Vincent.
Indi took a bullet to the head during a shooting in which DeKalb Officer Edgar Flores was killed Dec. 13, 2018. Indi returned to duty three months after the incident, AJC.com reported.
RELATED: Hero pup: DeKalb K-9 Indi returning to work 3 months after being shot
Sunday’s hit-and-run happened about 11 p.m. in the area of Moreland Avenue and Eastland Road, Vincent said.
Investigators said Flagg was heading north on Moreland when he hit the victim’s pickup truck as the man was trying to make a left turn onto Eastland.
The victim, 73-year-old Charles Babb, died at the hospital, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Flagg, who ran away from the incident, surrendered to police about 4 a.m. after Indi tracked his scent to the pipe in a nearby community. He was taken into custody and then transported to the hospital, Vincent said.
A passenger in Flagg’s car, identified only as a man in his early 40s, was also taken to the hospital after the wreck.
Investigators believe alcohol was a factor in the crash. An investigation is ongoing.
Babb’s family members told Channel 2 they are devastated by his death.
“The thought of not having him anymore, I just don’t know how to deal with that,” his daughter, Denise Stubbs, said.
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About the Author
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
